Ayodele Oyewole

Service really matters with banking, as TSB customers have found to their cost recently. First Direct has always led the way, topping EVERY bank service poll we've done. Yet its free cash was also a big pull, so replacing it with headphones, vouchers, online courses etc, is big news. So, we've crunched the numbers and checked the small print to see how much of an incentive First Direct's new incentives really are...

First Direct's new switching bonus - any good?

New. No.1 service, £250 0% overdraft, linked 5% savings + choice of £170 headphones, £150 Expedia vch, £150-£1,000 online course and more. With First Direct* it's all about service, having won every service poll we've done for the last eight-ish years and scoring 91% 'great' in our most recent. It also lets you save up to £300/mth for 1yr in a linked 5% regular saver.

While service remains key, what's often pushed people over the line is the free cash – till last month it was £125 to switch via our special deal (£100 direct). But that's now finished.
So what's First Direct offering now, and what's it worth? You can choose one 'freebie' from a list of tech products and vouchers. Here's our deals team's analysis of what the current offers are worth...

- £150 Expedia vch. Valid on hotels, package hols or activities. Expedia may not be the cheapest way to book a holiday, but the less you're spending, the more likely this'll be a good deal as the vch covers more of the cost. Eg, we found three nights in Mallorca in Oct for £139 incl flights, less than the vch. But if planning to spend, say, £3k, it may be possible to save more than £150 buying elsewhere.
- Bose on-ear wireless headphones. £170 RRP and at Currys.
- Bose SoundLink Mini II bluetooth speaker (only avail via our link). £170 RRP, £150 at Currys.
- Fitbit Charge 2 Special Edition. £160 RRP, £140 at Boots.
- Bose Soundsport wireless headphones. £150 RRP, £130 at Bose.
- Amazon Echo Spot. £120 RRP, £119 at Tesco Direct.
- Polaroid OneStep 2 i-Type camera. £110 RRP, £101 at Amazon.
- Online training course incl cooking, graphic design or photography. They're with Blue Mountain training, which sells them for £150-£1k, though you may be able to get similar courses, for less, elsewhere.

To get it, you must be a new customer, switch and pay in £1,000 within 3mths of switching. You'll be emailed a link within 2 weeks to register for the offer, you're then given a code which you use to pick your 'freebie' within 90 days of registering.

To keep the account free you'll need to pay in £1k/mth or have an average balance of £1k+; otherwise it's £10/mth.
The BIG question: Is the new First Direct switch offer any good? Over to Martin:

The start point here is First Direct has without question the best service of any fee-free bank account. A human answers the phone, without switchboard options. So while normally I warn against picking financial products on freebies alone, with FD, it's the icing on the cake, as for most switching means a better experience.

With these goods it's clear the bank's aim is to target younger people. And, for those who would've bought these items anyway, it's a cracker. Everyone else must evaluate the opportunity cost. Eg, would you prefer FD's service and £170 headphones, or, say, Barclays' (below) £132 over a year or Halifax's £75 upfront, and buy yourself a £30 pair of headphones?

Cash is of course the most flexible reward, and I think we may later in the year see more offers return of at least £100 free cash upfront. So if you're happy with your bank now, and prefer cash to gimmicks, waiting may pay. Yet if your bank annoys you, stop bitching and start switching. If any of these goods tweak your 'I wouldn't mind one of those' impulses, there's no problem switching to First Direct.
First Direct is also good if you're regularly overdrawn. Eligible new customers get a permanent 0% overdraft of £250. If you've a larger overdraft, Nationwide offers a 0% overdraft for 12 months – there's no set limit, but we've heard of bigger amounts given.

Don't fancy First Direct? Get £185 in M&S vchs & more

Some banks still offer cash (or cash equivalent) to switch. Here are the top picks, based on the total amount they pay in year 1...
Get £185 in M&S vchs + 5% regular saver. M&S Bank* gives new switchers a £125 M&S gift card, with £5/mth added to it for 1yr if you deposit £1k+/mth. It's got decent service and you can save up to £250/mth in a 5% regular saver fixed for 1yr, while many get a £100 0% overdraft. To get it all you must switch, incl 2+ active direct debits, within 3mths of opening.
New. Get £132 cash, and more if you've a Barclays mortgage/home insurance/loan. New switchers to Barclays * who sign up to its Blue Rewards scheme get £14/mth in yr 1 if they pay in £800/mth and pay out two direct debits. There's a £3/mth fee but that still leaves you up £11/mth or £132 in the first year, though note Barclays often scores poorly in our service polls. You can get extra cashback if you've certain Barclays products (see Barclays info). From year 2, you're at least £4/mth up after the fee.
Get £111 cash, incl £75 within the first few days. Halifax pays new switchers £75 before the switch completes. Plus, it pays £3 every month you pay in £750, stay in credit, and pay out at least two direct debits.

Bank switching FAQs
If you're unsure how it all works, this should help. For full info, see Best Bank Accounts.

Q. How difficult is switching? Not difficult at all. In fact, in our last Twitter poll, 85% of you said it was hassle-free. Under banks' switching services, your account is switched and your old one closed, all within seven working days. And the banks do the hard work of moving money and payments across.

Q. What if money is paid into the old account or something goes wrong? The bots behind the scenes sort it, so for at least 3yrs any money paid into the old account or wrongly earmarked to come out of that account is transferred to the new one. If you're hit with any charges due to an error in the switch service that leads to a missed payment, this should be refunded by the new bank.

Q. I don't qualify for one of these accounts, what can I do? Sadly, 1m+ don't have a bank account. Yet as long as you've ID, you should be able to get what's called a basic bank account where there's no overdraft facility. See our Basic Bank Accounts guide for help.

DON'T believe the fake ads on Facebook

Lots of scam ads that litter social media lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

New. Hot broadband & line rental just '£10/mth'

This cracker from BT-owned Plusnet is back – the cheapest standard speed deal we've seen in 9 months

The secret to saving money on your broadband is to always take advantage of hot, short-lived promos, and right now this from BT-owned Plusnet is a winner. Most can get it, saving a massive £390/yr compared with BT's non-promo prices. Standard up-to-17Mb speed is best for smaller households browsing the web, reading emails or streaming music. Here's the key info...

New. Standard broadband and line rental equiv to £10.24/mth. With this Plusnet deal anyone who's not had Plusnet broadband in the last month can get up-to-17Mb b'band and line on a 1yr contract. It's available to 90% of the UK, and if you go via the link it'll show if you're eligible.

- Broadband is 'free' & it's cheapest to pay £197.88 upfront for a year's line rental. That's equiv to £16.49/mth, otherwise it's £18.99/mth, but no calls are included.
- You MUST claim a £75 cashback cheque. You'll get an email within 10 days of activation explaining how, and you must do it within 2mths. Your cheque should then arrive within 30 days.

How does it stack up? Assuming you claim the cashback, it's £122.88 (before calls) over the year, equiv to £10.24/mth. Pay line rental monthly and it's equiv to £12.74/mth. After the 12mths, you start paying £10.99/mth for broadband, plus line rental.
Want faster, a different provider, or to add TV packages? Use our Broadband Unbundled to see what's available based on your postcode. Filter by speed, TV package, contract length and provider to find the best deal for you.

TSB meltdown: "I got £40 compensation." Refunds and redress are starting to come through. See our new TSB meltdown help guide for latest news & full info.

Airport lounge access up to 20% off code. MSE Blagged. At Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Pay £22-£36 plus free glass of champagne & fast track security (except Heathrow). Full info and more tips in Cheap Airport Lounges.

Martin Lewis suing Facebook UPDATE... why it left him shaking. Includes news on the Court date, agreeing to meet a Facebook VP, proof it published 1,000s of fake ads & more. Read Martin suing Facebook latest news & FAQs.

New. 15mths' full car breakdown cover for £48. We've blagged 15mths' AutoAid* cover for the price of 12. It covers you, your spouse, civil or common-law partner, in any car you drive for £48.31. Similar AA/RAC cover can cost £100+ for 1yr. Full info in Cheap breakdown cover.

Get CASH for iPhone pics (and you don't need to be a pro). If you've taken a beautiful or useful photo, you could net anything from £2-£100s via an app. Sell photos

FREE £5ish of Lego this Saturday. Via Smyths stores, while stocks last. Free Lego

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- £17 hanging baskets set (norm £25) 2,500 available
- Morphy Richards 20% off code Ends 11 May
- £30 free-range BBQ meat hamper 1,250 available
- 8 craft beers for £12 (similar £27) 1,000 available
- 2for1 Grand Designs Live London tickets Ends 12 May

DID YOU MISS?

- Free nappies, £100+ Argos coupons & more baby deals
- Fortnite bill shock: '7-yr-old spent £80' - how to prevent it
- Season passes at Thorpe Park for less than a day ticket?
- FREE £20 eye test at Optical Express

24 Amazon tricks incl 'free' £10 and 2% cashback

Slash costs when buying from the web giant with a host of freebies, tools and tricks

Many see the retail behemoth as their go-to one-stop online shop. Others think it's avoiding paying its fair share of UK tax and will gnash their teeth. If you use it, we say as it pays less, you should pay less. And, as it's got some hot deals out now, we thought it prime time to show you our 24 Amazon Tricks, here's a taster... Of course, before shopping at Amazon, don't assume it's cheapest and compare prices after discounts, see Online Shopping Tricks for more help.

New. 'Free' £10 Amazon... for most. Simply prepay your account with £40 at thousands of stores, including supermarkets, and you get £50 to spend. Get a free Amazon £10.
'Free' £6 Amazon... for some. Get bonus when you buy £30 of Amazon gift cards. Check if you're eligible.
The 'Is Amazon Europe Cheaper?' tool. Oui? Nein? A cheeky tool compares prices across Amazon EU sites and some net mega bargains, such as Arianne: "Thanks. I got a pair of headphones for €55, they were £100 in the UK."
The 'Is it really a bargain?' tool. Just because it's discounted, doesn't mean it's a hot deal. You can use a website to snoop on a product's Amazon history and see if it's ever sold for less. Prepared to wait? Name a price you're willing to pay and it'll send you price-drop emails.
Rare 2% cashback on Amazon - if you have (or know) a kid. Most cashback sites don't work on Amazon, yet there's a way to get Amazon cashback.
'I got £158 of Amazon Prime subscription back.' Many have been charged for unwanted membership which is £79/yr (or £7.99/mth). Our Amazon Prime Refund guide helps you to get it back, and it worked for forumite Gassy: "It was happy to reimburse one year. I pushed it a little and got 2yrs' back, £158. Not bad for a 5min call."

£34 Nutribullet... if you know where to look (norm £59). Blender's price gets blitzed, ltd stock. £34 Nutribullet

'Don't buy tickets from Viagogo' – a warning from Martin. Following a competition watchdog investigation into four secondary ticketing sites, Viagogo is the only one not to have agreed to make changes. See Martin's Viagogo warning.

Pssst... SECRET shoe outlets, eg, £21 Puma trainers (norm £62). We've found high street chains Office & Schuh flogging slightly scuffed and ex-display footwear online at huge discounts. Extremely limited stock. Step this way

£17 plant-your-own hanging baskets set, incl compost (norm £25). MSE Blagged. Two baskets, 12 plants. Or £27 for 4 baskets, 24 plants. 2,500 of each available. Can you dig it?

Morphy Richards 20% off everything code, eg, £15 steam iron (was £27). MSE Blagged. Incl sale items, eg, £16 electric spiralizer (was £50) and a £29 toaster (was £80). Free delivery. Morphy Richards

£30 free-range BBQ meat hamper (£40ish at supermarkets). MSE Blagged. All outdoor-reared UK meat. Incl rump/flat iron/gammon steaks, burgers and sausages. Meat hamper

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: MBNA* up to 36mths 0%, 1.99% fee (19.9% rep APR)
No-fee 0%: Santander* 27mths 0%, no fee (18.9% rep APR)

Get comparison site quotes in this order:

Then check insurers they miss:
Direct Line*
Aviva*

Cheapest for £5,000-£7,499: Admiral* 3.3% rep APR
Cheapest £7.5k-£15k: Sainsbury's Bank* 2.7% rep APR (1-3yrs, needs a Nectar card)

Standard b'band & line rent: Plusnet equiv £10.24/mth
Fibre b'band & line rent: Vodafone £21/mth

£125 M&S gift card to switch + £5/mth for a year: M&S Bank
5% interest fixed for a year: Nationwide FlexDirect

Top easy-access: Kent Reliance 1.3%, min £1,000
Top one-year fix: United Trust Bank 1.9%, min £5,000

New. Get £20 cashback on the CHEAPEST way to spend abroad

Specialist credit or debit cards are your No.1 overseas spending weapon and the top deal is back for summer

As spring pokes its head out (kind of) and summer holidays draw closer, Halifax's top overseas spending card has revived its £20 cashback after a short hibernation. We like specialist overseas cards like this when spending abroad, as they give near-perfect exchange rates and don't add a 3%-ish 'exchange fee', giving you more bang for your buck, euro, rouble, etc.

New. Overall top pick: £20 cashback and near-perfect rates. The Halifax Clarity credit card (eligibility calc / apply*) already had no fees for spending or cash withdrawals abroad. But apply by 31 Aug and accepted newbies who buy anything in a foreign currency by 30 Sep get £20 cashback within 90 days. It's this boost that makes it a winner.

It's 18.9% rep APR on spending and cash, so repay IN FULL to avoid interest. You pay a small amount of interest on cash withdrawals till it's paid off, so it's best to pay on the card and only make withdrawals if you really must.
Top credit card if you'll make lots of cash withdrawals. For most, Halifax wins because of the cashback. But if you're heading somewhere where you'll need lots of cash, the Barclaycard Platinum travel credit card (apply) has no purchase or non-sterling cash withdrawal fees or interest till 31 Aug 2022, as long as you pay the balance IN FULL every month (otherwise it's 19.9% rep APR on spending, and 27.9% on cash). You'll need to pass a credit check, but for cash withdrawals it's a winner as most specialist overseas cards still charge a bit of cash interest.
Top card if you don't want a credit check. This Starling Bank* app-only current account offers near-perfect rates on spending and cash withdrawals, with no fees on cash (max £300/day). It takes as little as 5mins to apply, and because it's a bank account, you won't be credit checked, unless you apply for an overdraft. It also pays 0.5% AER variable interest on up to £2k, 0.25% on £2k to £85,000. It's a new-ish bank, but feedback's decent.

Lots more help and options in Top Overseas Spending Cards. And if you need cash, use our TravelMoneyMax, which compares 30+ bureaux to show the best rates.

8 craft beers for £12 (similar £27). MSE Blagged. 1,000 boxes available from Beer52. Please be Drinkaware.

£700 FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES' WORK - SUCCESS OF THE WEEK:

"Followed the guidance on flight delays on your site. It took minutes and I only needed information I already knew. A month later, a £700 cheque arrived. Here's to you, Martin, and the MSE team."

(Send us yours on this or any topic.)

2for1 Grand Designs Live London tickets. MSE Blagged. For 5-13 May. Handy if you missed out on last month's freebies. Grand Designs Live

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Fact sheet for those with autism to better understand banking, credit cards & more. City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority & the National Autistic Society have produced an 'easy-read' guide to personal finance, incl how products work and how to spot scams. It's helpful for those with autism and may be a useful refresher for others.

THIS WEEK'S POLL

When did you last switch bank account? Whether you want better service, better rates or just free cash – changing your day to day bank account can be well worth doing. But have you done it?... When did you last switch bank account?

Books and DVDs are popular items to buy second hand. In last week's poll we asked what you bought second hand, with 7,828 people voting. Books and entertainment (DVDs, video games etc) were popular choices with roughly 10% of you saying you'd give these items a second home. Many of you also favoured buying a used car/motorcycle - though males were seemingly more keen than females. Perhaps unsurprisingly, not many of you like the idea of recycling used underwear. Find out what else people would buy second hand.

MONEYSAVING NEWS

- Top story: New debit card gives you bank accounts in four countries - but is it any good?
- Private parking tickets up 20% in a year
- Energy back-billing ban now in force
- Facebook admits it's had to take down THOUSANDS of fake Martin Lewis ads
- Household bills continue to rise, MSE Bills Tracker shows

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should my friends pay to stay with me? I run a B&B and rent out all my spare rooms. My friends have invited themselves down in the summer, my busiest period. I want to see them and have space, but I usually sell out, so would be losing revenue. Is it wrong to ask my friends to pay? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should my friends pay to stay with me? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs

THE QUICKIES

- Debt-Free Wannabe chat of the week: May no-spend challenge
- Competitions thread of the week: Year's coffee supply
- Old-Style board thread of the week: May 2018 grocery challenge
- Family, marriage, relationships chat: Best dating sites?
- Discussion of the week: Sainsbury's and Asda to merge

Amazon - £10 off £40 on selected jewellery code
Meowney-saving - how to get free cat treats & other pet tips
Wilko - 25% off garden tools
Sharpie - 30-pack of pens £6 at Tesco Direct (norm £22)
Glaceau Smartwater - free bottle via O2 app

Prezzo - 2for1 on mains
KFC - free side via app
Café Rouge - 40% off mains
Domino's - 2for1 collection only
Yo Sushi - free £2ish edamame via app

Pay £1, get up to 50p off hot drinks - via reusable cup
Exchange recyclable plastic for free food - in London this week
£5 off £35 spend at M&S - when you recycle one M&S item
Yellow sticker food reductions - get it cheap & save from landfill
£5 off £30 spend at H&M - bring a bag of clothes to recycle

£6 screwdriver set at Halfords (norm £20). Get a grip
Lidl weekend deals, incl 99p bratwurst. The wurst of times
100 free Nectar points for giving insurance date. Bees knees

MARTIN'S BLOG

Martin Lewis: Suing Facebook left me shaking. It's now admitted 1,000s of fake ads - here's the latest...

MSE TEAM BLOG

- Fancy a £500 windfall just for checking your insurance at renewal?
- Plastic straws could be banned – so what are the cheapest alternatives?

DEALS HUNTER BLOG

- How to get FREE cat treats and other MeowneySaving pet tips
- Free food & drink at London pop-up cafe if you 'pay' with (recyclable) plastic

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 2 MAY ONWARD)

Thu 3 May – Good Morning Britain, ITV, Deals of the Week, 7.40am
Fri 4 May – This Morning, ITV, Martin's Quick Deals, from 10.30am. See previous

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC)

Wed 2 May - BBC Cumbria, Money Talks with Ben Maeder, from 6pm
Fri 4 May - BBC South West stations, Good Morning with Joe Lemer, from 5am
Mon 7 May - TalkRadio, Breakfast with Julia Hartley-Brewer, 9.45am
Tue 8 May - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire with Jeremy Sallis, 2.20pm

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Q: We recently found about £100 of Tesco vouchers in the attic, but some of them are several years old. Is there a way we could convert them to new vouchers? Margriet, via email.

MSE Sarah M's A: Sadly, they expire two years after issue, so you won't be able to use any older ones. But there's a trick to extend the life of any nearing expiry. Simply use the voucher to make a small purchase of a few pennies – it will then credit the remaining balance to your Clubcard account as points.

They'll be reissued as new vouchers in your next batch, with an expiry date two years in the future. So if you spend 50p on a £10 voucher, you'll get £9.50. For more on reclaiming lost vouchers and tricks to boost your stash, see Reclaim & Boost Tesco Vouchers.

Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails).

BAFFLED BY THE BETAMAX & CONFUSED BY THE CASSETTE

That's all for this week, but before we go... The times they are a changin'. After a report claimed that some youngsters struggle to tell the time on a standard clock, and instead rely on digital, MoneySavers shared the old-style tech that baffles their kids. Developing pictures at a store, listening to cassettes and recording on Betamax all feature in our old-style tech Facebook post.

We hope you save some money,

The MSE team

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What you need to know

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service.

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Martin set up and is chairman of MSE. He's an ultra-focused money-saving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own ITV prime-time show The Martin Lewis Money Show and weekly slots on Radio 5 Live, This Morning and Good Morning Britain, among others. He's a columnist for publications including the Telegraph, Sunday Mirror and Woman magazine. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography.

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